The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1887-02-01
THE LITTLE CAPTAIN
An Ex-Confederate's Story OF
the Civil War.
How a Company Was Ratified" in One
Fight and Redeemed Itself in Another.

An ex-confcdcratc tells this story in
the Detroit Free Press: In one of the
first battles that decided McClcllan's
career on the Peninsula company &C"
of a certain southwestern regiment, hav-
ing been stationed to hold a particular
point, became ratified under the artillery
fire of the Fedcrals and broke back in
wild disorder. The case was so marked,
occurring rs it did in sight of half n
mile of battle-linc, and 10, 900 reserve
troops, that the company was guycd,
snecrcd at and ridiculed without mercy.
Had it been losing any number of men
under the fire the case would have been
different, but they broke back without
even having q man wounded. I was
personally acquainted with many of
the men, and 1 had this excuse for them.
1t was their first fight, and their officers
bad no experience. Under a veteran
captain they would have held their place
and cracked jokes about the screaming
! shells. .
Tho epithct of coward was applied to
every man in the company, and the
colonel of the regiment was so indignant
over tho matter that it was whispered
about that he had requested our Briga-
dier-General to have the company dis
banded in disgrace. Nothing of that
sort was done, however, as we had al
ready began the pursuit of Mcclellan.
In the fights up to Malvern Hill the
regiment was in the rear, or supporting
artillery; but it came to the front when
we swept up to Crews farm to find the
Federal army posted on the plateau be-
You'd, and waiting to give cur victorious
legends a bloody check. We were form
ing battle lines in the woods when the
gunboats at Turkey Bend opened fire
with their great guns, and three or four
different times the falling limbs crashed
down to break our formation and throw
US into confusion.
BY and by tho order came for the ad-
vance across the level meadows. Ny
company was in the second battle line,
and directly behind &C." Just before
the order was given, the captain, who
was by far the smallest man in his COM
pany, and had all along been known as
the Little Captain" stepped to the
front and quietly said:
"Men, we have u chance to redeem
ourselves. We have been called cow
ards, and our good name has been taken
away. Let us regain it here or die on
the field"
The men did not cheer, but I saw
them settle themselves for desperate
work. Away went the first line, sweep
ing along like a giant wave, and then
VIC got the order to follow.
Just as we broke cover the Federal ar
tillery opened on us with over fifty guns,
and the echo of the first gun had not
died away when a shell blew three men
OF 90" company to pieces. I had to
step over one of the mutilated bodies rs
we followed on, but the living showed
no signs Of dismay. Shot and shell
plowed through that front line without
mercy-grapeshot Kissed as VIC got nearer
-musket balls were striking far beyond
us before we changed our common
time" to "do%ublequick." We could not
get there. Such a fire was opened upon
US as seem to whirl us about In a mad
circle. Amidst the hoarse shouts of
officers and the crash of muskctry I heard
the Little Captain calling:
"stcady, boys! The enemy is there in
front-come with me!
We went forward as a mob would 60,
halted, whirlcd round and round, and
then the order was given to retire. We
retreated to cover to form again, while
a fresh batch of victims moved up. !
had o scratch, as did almost every one
else in my company who came off alive,
but this did not prevent me from looking
about for Company &C." Our colonel
came riding down the line to give ord
ers to tho captains, and he halted ncar
me and called:
"Wherc is Captain Blake and Com
pany "G~
"Here, slr!" replied the little captain,
as he salutcd.
His left arm had been broken by a
bullet, and there was blood on his face
from n second wound. Lying at his
feet, with q ball in his shoulder, was his
second lieutenant. Standing beside him
was a private with two fingers shot off.
Every other man in &c" was lying dead
or wounded ut the front. Indeed. the